SPENDING on consultants has risen by 23 per cent for the year ending March 31 2018 by Gloucestershire County Council.

Following questions to the council’s conservative cabinet by Cllr Paul Hodgkinson, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, it was revealed that the council have spent £1.7 million on consultants, increasing from the £1.3 million spent in 2017.

Cllr Hodgkinson (Lib Dem, Bourton and Northleach) said: "At a time when the County Council is under extreme financial pressure and cutting vital services, spending on consultants should not be going up and certainly not by a quarter.

"The Conservative administration cannot on the one hand say they have been forced to cut services like public mental health because there is a lack of funding and at the same time increase spending so much in areas such as this.

"Residents will be shaking their heads in disbelief when they see potholed roads left in a dreadful state but this kind of money being handed out to consultants. The question is why is so much money being spent on people who often come at higher one off costs than employed staff?

"This use of consultants needs to be brought under control and scrutinised to assess whether this expenditure is really necessary. Liberal Democrat county councillors are calling for the County Council to confirm that this is a one off blip and that spending on consultants will go down next year.

"Council bosses should focus on providing value for money for Gloucestershire residents whilst reducing unnecessary costs."

Mark Hawthorne, leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said: “In order to provide the public with the best possible services, sometimes we require the support of people outside the organisation that have a specific set of skills and knowledge.

“For example we’re working with experts in adult social care to help us transform the way we deliver our support to some of the county’s most vulnerable people as our population grows and their needs change. We’re also investing £150 million into Gloucestershire’s highways, so we’re working together with specialists outside the organisation to make sure we use this investment in the best possible way.”